You can feel the interest building which will continue through the season after the introduction about a year before they team will hit the field at camp in 2014. What’s the difference this time? There is the stadium, local owners with a spokesman known to the media, yes, but also it is the time being taken to do things right, years versus 7.5 months, and building the buzz.

Nothing wrong with any of these concepts to put in front of some focus groups, although the number of choices may have overwhelmed. I like where they went with this, OSEG may find a winner here (very likely have already chosen their direction and have commissioned final designs of their selections). Pleasantly surprised they went away from plain Football Club/colour scheme branding.

My choice would be the lumberjack logo for jerseys and the R with inset B on the helmets. What I think they might do is use the R inset B helmets on special occasions if they do not use the traditional R and choose something else for everyday helmets. I hope not.

Ask for 5-year plan advice by tweet and you should expect your standard simple answers to the common complaints. There are, however, some good ideas presented that are attainable and within the league’s control.

I think a video game, a small media/interactive production operation and the like are reachable goals that can be monetized. Many others, some good ideas, would only cost the league and teams money. I am surprised there is no mention of an annual All-Star Skills Competition, my preference to replace the All-Star Game. Or how about the CFL sponsoring CFLdb for 6 or 12 months so we can work on the site full time (adding stats, contests and other ideas). :)

Faced with $1 million in development costs for Investors Group Field while still playing at Canad Inns Stadium (adding $1.6 million in occupancy costs) plus a $400,000 write down on the disposal of stadium assets, the Bombers end up recording a loss of $758,000 in 2012 even though their revenue exceed expenses by almost $750,000.

In addition to the the 2012 financials, the Bombers announced they had exceeded last year’s record season ticket sales with 23,000 subscribers so far for the upcoming season. In addition to football, the new stadium is to get a workout with concerts and events while the old one comes down.

For some, over 5,000 may not seem like a lot, but with no marketing, no name, no certainty on a stadium and the hesitation Canadians have in putting down a $25 non-refundable deposit, that is pretty good. It will surprise me if by September that number isn’t double. Then the real marketing begins, football is in the air and the last minute buyers are left to buy up until the first training camp before single game tickets go on sale.

Today Jeff Hunt updated ticket reservation holders for the new Ottawa franchise that they will be able to select their seats in the new stadium at Lansdowne Park in September this year. The process will involve a preview centre that will allow fans to check the view from specific locations.

It is all coming together and fast. September is not far off, and the more you put off putting in your $25/seat reservations, the farther behind in the priority queue you will be when selecting your seats. With the amount of traffic I see here for Ottawa tickets, you will be wise to delay no longer.

The particularly apt statement from Mr. Hunt is previous failures are more about “why poorly run businesses don’t work anywhere.” If you want to argue the previous businesses were well run, then we can discuss whether Ottawa is a football town given its history. But I don’t think I will find anyone able to make that argument.

Right now the OSEG group looks like geniuses, acquiring the franchise in 2008 and not taking the field until 2014 with a new stadium, a stable league with controlled expenses and Salary Management System and in the first year of a new broadcast deal that about doubles each franchise’s revenue from television rights. No others had the vision of potentially doubling their franchise’s value before even taking the field.

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